The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Known end-effectors attach to robotic apparatuses to manipulate a workpiece during manufacturing processes. An end-effector may grasp a workpiece using tool modules, transport the workpiece to a new location, and orient and release the workpiece. The end-effector is preferably adjustable to permit utilization with workpieces of multiple designs, including adjusting the tool modules. It is known to adjust an end-effector for use with workpieces of multiple designs by manually adjusting tool modules of the end-effector. Manually adjusting the tool modules of the end-effector is known to consume time and may be prone to errors. Applications of robotic apparatuses with end-effectors may encompass material handling, manufacturing, packaging, and testing.
Known workpieces handled by an end-effector include parts or sheet metal panels that are shaped in three-dimensional forms and have large changes of slope and elevation. It may be impractical to design an end-effector with excessively large height extension and swivel angle for tool modules that self-conform to a workpiece.
A reconfigurable end-effector for material handling, such as pick-and-place of sheet metal panels in a stamping operation includes a plurality of tool modules with workpiece interface tools, e.g., vacuum cups that may be configured to different locations on the end-effector frame to interact with workpieces having varying geometries and sizes. Some of the tool modules may not be engaged when interacting with some workpieces due to size or geometry of the workpiece. A redundant tool module may be moved on the reconfigurable end-effector to avoid interferences. Known methods and systems for disabling power to a redundant workpiece interface tool include equipping each of the tools with a separate controllable vacuum supply, which adds components and an associated control system. A redundant workpiece interface tool may instead be removed, increasing setup time.